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H.W. Gretton
Harold William Gretton (1914-1983) was a New Zealand poet, lyricist, writer, teacher, journalist, linguist, diarist and World War II soldier. Life Gretton grew up on a dairy farm in Linton, near Palmerston North, New Zealand. He was the son of Margaret (Geddes) and farmer Thomas Henry Gretton. He attended Palmerston North Boys' High School, where he began writing poetry as a schoolboy. By 1931, he could produce competent parodies of Romantic Scottish ballads.Cleveland, p. 22. From 1935 to 1938 he attended Victoria College, where he studied for his Bachelor of Arts degree; other interests included running, the University Tramping Club, and contributing to the annual student review, The Spike; or, Victoria University College Review. He published much of his poetry and prose in The Spike between 1935 and 1947. He found work as a copyholder and later cadet reporter for The Dominion before attending Teacher’s Training College while he was also studying part-time at Victoria.Cleveland, 22. Gretton served in World War II and appears on the World War II Nominal Rolls 1939-1948. He was called up for military service in 1941 and served in the 2NZEF infantry. He was teaching at Manaia Primary School in Taranaki Region at the time of his call-up.New Zealand Gazette, 7 May 1941, 1209. In 1942, he became registrar of the births and deaths of Maori at Waitapu.New Zealand Gazette, 12 March 1942, 671. In 1944, he co-edited (with Martyn Uren and J. L. Grimaldi) the February issue of the troopship magazine, Down the Hatch, which includes a number of sketches by Captain Peter McIntyre. The magazine was produced on Troopship 82 (Mooltan) which left New Zealand on 12 January 1944 carrying 11th Reinforcements. At the conclusion of his service, Gretton returned to Victoria University and teaching, graduating with an M.A. in 1948. In 1949, Gretton’s poetry appeared in the 3rd edition of Victoria University College anthology, The Old Clay Patch. He also appears in the Glenco publication, Moa on Lambton Quay: Animal, Vegetable and Funereal Verse (1951). He next moved to Hawke’s Bay to teach at Rangitahi Maori District High School in Whakatane, but returned to Wellington in the 1950s to work at Wellington Correspondence School. From 1962 to 1978 he lived and taught in Taupo at Taupo Nui-a-Tia College. Gretton married Derkje (Diana) Hof, who was Dutch. He died in 1983 at the age of 69. Writing In New Zealand, Gretton's tramping songs are still well known today. He has tramping songs included in ephemeral songbooks such as the Tararua Songbook (1971) and collections distributed by New Zealand tramping clubs and student organisations.Cleveland, 22. Gretton’s songs were popular with these tramping organisations from the 1950s to the 1970s. In 1967, Gretton’s tramping songs were included in Shanties by the Way: A selection of New Zealand popular songs and ballads, collected and edited by Rona Bailey and Herbert Roth; with musical arrangements by Neil Colquhoun. A privately published anthology of his writings, A Selection of Poems, Songs and Short Stories, appeared after his death, printed at the Gisborne Herald. The only copy is held at the Victoria University of Wellington Library. Gretton wrote in many forms, from popular songs and ballads to triolets and other forms of light verse. Gretton also wrote a major post-Second World War soldier’s poem, ‘Koru and Acanthus’, that he planned in Italy in 1945 and completed by 1946.Cleveland, p. 23. It appeared in The Spike in 1947. The poem looks at the apocalyptic effects of war in Europe with reflections on New Zealand’s future. His papers consist of notebooks and a diary. The diary is a social history of the war period through the lens of a 2NZEF infantryman. In 2002, Les Cleveland contributed an article on Gretton to New Zealand Books. Cleveland notes that "Gretton’s poetry is energised by a wry, discerning wit and dexterous capacity for rhyme."Cleveland, p. 22. Cleveland’s essay was the first significant article to appear discussing Gretton’s critical neglect. Cleveland notes further that: "Today, Gretton is remembered by many of his generation as the composer of songs that celebrate the pleasures of the outdoors."Cleveland, p. 23. Recognition In 1984, Gretton's song "A Fast Pair of Skis" appeared in A Thousand Mountains Shining: Stories From New Zealand’s mountain world edited by Ray Knox. In 1991, Les Cleveland included Gretton’s "No More Double Bunking" in The Great New Zealand Songbook; and Cleveland again mentions Gretton for his war poem "Koru and Acanthus" in his essay on "War Literature: World War 2" in the Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature (1998). Academics Harry Ricketts and Hugh Roberts further included 7 of Gretton’s comic verses and songs in their anthology of New Zealand comic and satiric verse, How You Doing? (1998). This can be seen as the earliest major inclusion of Gretton’s work in a New Zealand anthology since the 1960s whose contributors date back to the 19th century. In 2001, New Zealand poets and editors Bill Sewell and Lauris Edmond included 2 of Gretton’s poems in their anthology of New Zealand poetry, Essential New Zealand Poems. Gretton’s tramping songs "A Fast Pair of Skis" and "No More Double Bunking" are also included on the historical website NZ Folk Songs. Publications *''A Selection of Poems, Songs, and Short Stories''. privately published, 1984..A Selection of Poems, Songs, and Short Stories , Amazon.co.uk. Web, July 8, 2019. See also *List of New Zealand poets *List of English-language songwriters References *Les Cleveland, "'Words like Ferns': The neglected Harold Gretton," New Zealand Books 12:5 (December 2002), 22-23. External links ;Poems *"Triolet" *"Koru and Acanthus" *"A Fast Pair of Skis" *"No More Double Bunking" ;Books *''A Selection of Poems and Short Songs'' at Amazon.co.uk Category:1914 births Category:1983 deaths Category:New Zealand educators Category:New Zealand poets Category:New Zealand journalists Category:New Zealand composers Category:New Zealand diarists Category:People educated at Palmerston North Boys' High School Category:Victoria University of Wellington alumni Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II Category:20th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets